Considering that the nones are now the fastest growing “religious
group” in the country, public interest is growing–especially in
this election year, as it relates to the nones political leanings.

In many ways the Pew study seemed to marginalize the
atheist/agnostic and secular segment of the nones, stressing that
the group overall is not “uniformly secular.” At a press
conference for the release of the Pew study, Greg Smith, a senior
researcher at Pew’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, seemed to
be offering reassurance to the crowd in both tone and rhetoric
when he said, “atheists and agnostics are still a very small
minority,” noting that many nones still believe in a god (read:
religious people, don’t panic!).

Interestingly, the American Values Survey paints a different
picture. The new study found that atheists and agnostics make up a
larger percentage of the unaffiliated population and thus a larger
percentage of the general population overall. Based on the
American Values Survey statistics, approximately 6.8 percent of
the general population is atheist or agnostic, compared to the 5.7
percent of the population that the Pew study found. The American
Values Survey also indicates that a full 75 percent of nones are
in fact either secular/non-religious or atheist/agnostic.

Although more conservative in their accounting of unaffiliated
Americans than the Pew study (for example, the American Values
Survey found that 19 percent of Americans are nones, compared to
Pew’s 19.6 percent findings), the American Values Survey found
that a larger percentage–36 percent–of nones are atheist or
agnostic, while the Pew study put that percentage much lower at 29
percent. In the Pew study, the remaining 71 percent who did not
identify as atheist or agnostic were labeled “nothing in
particular”.

The American Values Survey also broke down the unaffiliated
“bloc” further than Pew, dividing us into three groups,
“atheist/agnostic” (36 percent), “secular/non-religious” which
accounts for 39 percent, and “unattached believers” which make up
23 percent. This allowed the demographers to take a closer look
at the beliefs and political leanings of the nones.

The American Values Survey found that the religiously
unaffiliated overall tend to be less politically engaged than
religiously-affiliated Americans. But when they looked at each
demographic closer they found that this was not the case for
atheists and agnostics. In fact, 73 percent of atheists and
agnostics said they were absolutely certain they would vote in the
2012 election, compared to 53% of both secular Americans and
unattached believers.

The American Values Survey also delved a bit deeper into the
nones by age. We knew that 35 percent of Millennials were
religiously unaffiliated from the Pew study. The American Values
Survey also found that 35 percent of 18-29 year olds were nones,
but went further, identifying 40 percent of them as atheist or
agnostic and another 39 percent as secular.

Click chart to enlarge:

Finally, whereas the Pew study noted that there were no major
differences in education levels between the religious and the
nones, the American Values Survey found that wasn’t quite the case
when they examined atheists and agnostics specifically.

The American Values Survey found that atheists and agnostics are
“significantly better educated than Americans overall.” Nearly 45
percent of atheists and agnostics have at least a four-year
college degree. More than 1-in-5 (22 percent) have a post-graduate
degree.

The release of both of these studies shows that the religiously
unaffiliated are a fast-growing segment of society and one people
are starting to pay attention to–and for good reason because
politicians should absolutely be looking to engage these voters.

Whether we comprise 5.7 or 6.8 percent of the population,
atheists and agnostics constitute a serious voting bloc–one that
does tend to vote together on the issues and is passionate about
political involvement. That becomes clearer when we compare those
numbers to those of other religious groups that are smaller, yet
have more political clout. Atheists and agnostics outnumber the
combined membership of Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus,
Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Orthodox, which combined account for
only 5.4 percent of the population, according to information
on Pew’s site. Atheists and agnostics even outnumber groups like
Lutherans (4.6 percent), Black Baptists (4.4 percent) and
Methodists (less than 5.4 percent).

As a bloc we have the ability to be a powerful force in the
political and legislative process, but only if we take advantage
of our numbers, forcing politicians to recognize us as a
constituency and take action on our concerns. To do that we must
continue to make ourselves seen and heard both in everyday life as
well as at the ballot box.

It is not afraid to face the problems of life, and it is not afraid to confess that there are problems yet to be solved.

It does not claim that it has solved all the questions of the universe, but it does claim that it has discovered the approach and learned the method of solving them.

It has dedicated itself to the passionate quest for the truth.

It believes that truth for truth’s sake is the highest ideal and that virtue is its own reward.

It believes that love of humanity is a higher ideal than a love of God. We cannot help God, but we can help mankind. “Hands that help are better far than lips that play.” Praying to God is humiliating; worshiping God degrading.

It believes in Ingersoll, when he said: “Give me the storm and tempest of thought and action rather than the dead calm of ignorance and faith. Banish me from Eden when you will, but first let me eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge.”

Atheism is a self-reliant philosophy.

It makes a man intellectual free. He is thrilled to enthusiasm by his mental emancipation and he faces the universe without fear of ghosts or gods.

It teaches man that unless he devotes his energies and applies himself whole-heartedly to the task he wishes to achieve, the accomplishment will not be made.

Is it not better to place a question mark upon a problem while seeking an answer than to put the label “God” there and consider the matter solved?